


call it fate, call it destiny

by pendragonpants



Category: The Letter for the King (TV)
Genre: BAMF Tiuri the Younger, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Redemption, esp piak! piak is the coolest, he knows whats going on, ok tbh everyone is bamf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pendragonpants/pseuds/pendragonpants
Summary: Soon after Viridian's defeat, Tiuri and Viridian cross paths again and with the help of the former and the Knights of Dagonaut, the latter realises that maybe he doesn't need to conquer the kingdom and that there are better things in life.
Relationships: Tiuri the Younger/Viridian (The Letter for the King)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	call it fate, call it destiny

Viridian had never felt so broken and weak before. He had woken up with his face in the mud and to an agonising pain that ran through his entire body. He placed his palms on the ground, attempting to push himself up but failed miserably and collapsed back onto the forest floor.

He didn’t remember how he got here. The last thing he remembered was the dinner at his father’s castle. The blood moon and the girl with the magic. Was it really her with the magic though? He could have sworn he felt the energy from the boy named Tiuri. That didn’t matter anyway, he’d just have to defeat whoever did have it. It’d be easy, he had defeated plenty of Shamans before, what was one more?

With some support from a dead oak tree, Viridian pulled himself up, clutching his head as it was pounding like someone was banging a drum inside of his skull. His gloved fingers came away sticky and glistening with a garnet red. He prodded his forehead until he found the gash that spanned from his hairline to his eyebrow and it did hurt. He cursed himself for displaying such weakness. He was Prince Viridian and he was not going to give up that easily. Some silly children weren’t going to stop him from becoming king. 

However, something felt different this time. He could sense the change in the wind. He knew he wasn’t as powerful as he was before. His army had disbanded, Red Riders locked up and without them he was nothing. He was not that good at using a sword or any weapon for that matter. His multiple victories were the result of relying on magic and the fear that struck people’s hearts when they saw his large army arrive. Now he was alone and left for dead.

He vaguely remembered being picked up and tossed out of one of the castle’s back doors, treated no better than the contents of a chamberpot. 

_Take it away, his father had said, gesturing at the body that lay at the foot of his throne. The guards picked up the lifeless body and dragged it out of the room as King Favian turned away and asked his guests to continue with their feast. They would be celebrating for a different reason though._

_Prince Iridian stared as his brother’s body was removed and wiped away the singular tear that split onto his cheek. It was not the time to mourn for him._

_The celebrations proceeded, the guests heaping praises unto the group and singing their thanks to them. It seemed like they couldn’t get enough of the Knights of Dagonaut._

Unfortunately for him, he was tossed out with his head crashing down onto a protruding rock. That would explain the head wound. They thought he was dead. What a huge mistake. He was going to take back the crown, all he had to do was gather his army, yes indeed, gather his army and strike when they least expected it. Thankfully, he still had his sword and that would protect him from any woodland creatures that might not take a liking to him.

His first priority as of now was to get a move on and find some shelter. The scent of petrichor was heavy in the air and he could feel the cool mist of incoming rain. 

He plodded along through the forest, leaning on trees and rocks every few minutes to regain his balance and get his vision to focus again.

This is ridiculous, he thought, how did I end up like this? Where was Jaro when you needed him? At this moment, I’d settle for anyone to help me, even Jabroot. I know he tried to kill me but he didn’t go through with it in the end and he’d let that slip for now. He probably won’t come back and assist me, he told himself, I’m a miserable man now.

It had begun to pour and flashes of lightning momentarily lit up the dark and gloomy forest, thunder rumbling soon after. Viridian was utterly soaked and he shivered, the icy water running down his back and his chainmail did nothing to keep him warm. He could spot a flash of light in the distance, a flickering orange that was likely to be fire.

He stumbled towards it, thoughts unclear and he was happy that he could finally get help. Hopefully, it was some unsuspecting peasant or traveller who hadn’t heard of him before. Slim chance but it was worth a shot.

When he got closer and heard the plucky tune of a lute, he believed it might be a bard. Forget the fact that it’s another annoying bard, you need someone to heal your wound immediately, he scolded himself. With false bravery, he trudged towards them and was shocked to see none other than Tiuri and his gang.

They stared at him in shock and the girl began to yell at him.

“What is this? Tiuri, why is he here? We defeated him, didn’t we?”

Tiuri was frozen, gawking at him with his mouth open. If Viridian had the energy to laugh, he would have. He looked ridiculous when he did that. The boy with the lute held onto his friend and reached for his sword. Even the little one drew a small hunting knife. That wasn’t good.

He put up his hands in a placating manner and began with, “I need some…”

He didn’t manage to finish his sentence before Tiuri drew his sword, sprinting for him and he had barely a second to draw his own and block the blow. The clash of swords was loud and rang in his ears and he blinked as sparks flew from both their weapons.

He managed to dodge and block most of Tiuri’s advances, and with each movement, he could feel his limbs growing heavier and heavier, but if he let his guard down, he would be slain by the other boy. 

A flash of lightning and the roar of thunder startled him and that one moment of hesitation was enough for his sword to be knocked out of his hands. The raven-haired boy panted heavily, eyes fixated on him. 

Viridian was going to speak and express how he needed help but he instantly fell to his knees, fainting and crumbling to the ground. The blood loss, exhaustion and the cold had finally gotten to him. He watched through blurred vision as someone approached him but after he blinked a few more times, everything went black.

*

“Tiuri, you do realise he had tried to kill us multiple times? He just happens to show up and the two of you fight and now you’re going to take care of him? You do realise how ridiculous that is, right?”

The girl’s shrill voice rang in his ears, worsening his headache. He was laying down on the ground with a cloak as a pillow and when he tried to turn over, there was this horrid ache in his arms. Viridian looked up to see his wrists bound together by rope and tied around the rough tree trunk. 

“Lavinia, he’s harmless! Look at the state of him, he’s ill and has a raging fever, he’s in no condition to do anything.”

Ah, so the insane female was named Lavinia. She certainly posed a threat to him. Even if she didn’t have magic, she would be extremely dangerous and Viridian made a mental note not to mess with her.

“Why would you want to heal him? Tiuri, think rationally! Before you know it, he’s going to stab you in the back.”

“Not everyone in the world is pure evil, Lavinia, and I’m choosing to help him. The rest of them don’t mind either, as long as I’m taking charge of him. Anyway, I just want him to be fit enough to fight me and then I can kill him properly.”

The girl scoffed and was about to complain once more but went silent after noticing that he was awake.

“Go and do your thing. I’m going for a walk.”

She glared at Tiuri and snapped at Viridian, “You better not be up to something or else I will kill you.” She trudged off, leaving him alone with Tiuri. The boy stood over with a steely glare and settled next to him, sponging his forehead with a wet cloth.

“Do you mind untying me?” Viridian rasped, throat dry and parched. 

God, this was so stupid. He was letting his sworn enemy heal him. They could easily overpower him now and he would have no opportunity to escape.

Tiuri shook his head, “Not until I know what your intentions are.”

“I want my kingdom back. It’s mine, I deserve it and...I need it back.”

He was delirious from the fever and he wasn’t aware of the fact that he was speaking the truth. Maybe it was just the fever clouding his thoughts but Tiuri was indeed very handsome.

His chocolate coloured eyes were so curious and intriguing and they had so much maturity in them. They were hardened like a soldier who had survived one too many wars yet full of life like a young child’s. Flecks of gold sparkled once in a while and it was just magical. Viridian was completely unaware that he was having these thoughts or that he was so observant at the moment. He shivered, looking away from the other boy as he brought a waterskin to his cracked lips.

“Now, why am I helping you? I could just kill you right now and I wouldn’t feel a thing,” The boy mused to himself. It seemed like the things the girl said were getting to him and his doubts were creeping in. 

“Because you want to?” Viridian murmured, laying back down on his make-shift bed and closing his eyes. He was so worn out and having this conversation had already tired him out. 

“You’re a strange one,” Tiuri chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he watched the taller boy drift off to sleep.

“Sleep well, Viridian,” He whispered.

*

Tiuri had no idea what the hell he was doing. He had such conflicting feelings about the whole situation. As he sat and stared at the sleeping brunette, he had an opportunity to think and reconsider his actions. He was caring for someone who he had loathed and desperately wanted to kill. This person was responsible for his father’s death and the deaths of so many. Frankly, Jussipo was lucky to be alive right now. Without Lavinia’s magic, he’d be gone and Tiuri had no idea how he would console Foldo if that ever happened. Neither of them deserved the pain that was unleashed onto them. But the more he watched him, the more his curiosity grew and devoured his concerns.

What had made him this way? Tiuri knew that people weren’t born evil. He could help change Viridian for the better but that was only if he accepted it, which was going to be very unlikely. Tiuri laughed at himself for thinking about that, it was impossible and the dumbest idea he’d ever had. The only reason you’re nursing him back to health is so that he will be fit enough for a fair fight. 

Unconsciously, he reached out to brush Viridian’s hair out of his eyes and hummed softly to himself, a song that his father used to sing to him when he had trouble sleeping. He looked so docile and harmless when he was asleep and if he hadn’t seen the atrocities he had committed, he would’ve thought he was the gentlest person.

He turned around when he heard the crunch of leaves and laughter behind him, and was pleased to see Foldo and Jussipo smiling and teasing one another.

“Hey Tiuri, how is he?” Jussipo asked, kneeling down next to him to observe the sleeping boy. He seemed awfully calm and collected standing near the very person who nearly caused his death.

“Fever’s gone down. I’m not sure if he’s hurt anywhere else.”

He nodded, “Well, good luck. I hope everything turns out alright.”

He began to walk away, fingers intertwined with Foldo’s and Tiuri called out to him, “Jussipo? How are you so unperturbed by this whole situation? I mean, he’s our enemy and given what happened to you…” He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

“Forgive and forget, Tiuri! It’s over now,” Jussipo smiled, his grin wide and he was practically glowing with positivity. Tiuri sighed and faced Viridian, speaking to the sleeping boy but at the same time to himself, “Don’t you wish you could do that? Forgive and forget?”

He closed his eyes, feeling the wind on his face and the pleasant sting of the chilly air and breathed in the forest air. Fresh and raw, he paused to feel his surroundings, hands resting on the coal-black asteroid dirt and back straight. He took a few deep breaths, calming his racing heart rate and slowly opening his eyes to look at the ground. A small white voiceless flower had broken through the dirt, standing out against the darkness of the soil. Maybe he was the one with the magic. However, he knew he didn’t have any. It was all from Lavinia and well, this flower had probably been here this whole time and he didn’t notice it. He pulled it out of the soil, glowering at the lowly wild plant. He almost crushed it but froze when he saw Viridian watching him, his murky blue eyes slightly glazed over yet focused on him.

“You have magic,” He whispered.

“No, I don’t. Lavinia does, so will you please shut up and go back to sleep?” Tiuri snapped at him.

“No, you have magic, I could feel it,” He insisted.

“I do not and that’s the end of it.”

Tiuri stood up, dusting his trousers and hands, letting the flower float delicately to the ground and scowled at him.

“You’re not leaving, are you? I demand that you stay here immediately!” Viridian commanded, voice strong with anger burning through. He was not used to being ignored.

Tiuri sarcastically raised his eyebrows and mockingly bowed, “Forgive me, Your Highness. Now, shut up before I gag you and throw you into the river to drown.” 

“Excuse me? How dare you speak to me like-” He was cut off by a backhand to the cheek and Tiuri reiterated his point.

“Shut up.” 

He then stormed off to find Lavinia leaving Viridian stunned and alone with his cheek red and stinging. 

*

Lavinia was sitting on the riverbank with her feet in the clear running water, idly gazing at the rocks she threw into them. She didn’t move to face Tiuri even when he sat next to her and kept facing the opposite side.

“I don’t understand you, Tiuri. Every time I think I’ve got you figured out, you just do something that completely changes my opinion of you. Viridian? Hello? He was going to kill all of us barely two nights ago, and now you want to nurse him back to health so that you can slaughter him again? Why can’t you just do it now and we can all be relaxed. He poses such a huge threat to us, did you even think about Jussipo and Foldo or Piak?” She grumbled, muttering under her breath, “Let alone think about me.”

Hearing all of these words made Tiuri feel immense guilt, was he really acting so thoughtless? Deep down in his heart, he knew he wasn’t helping Viridian because he wanted to kill him later, but there was something so alluring and strange about the boy.

“Tiuri! Are you even listening to me?” 

“I’m sorry, I am listening. I just… have a lot on my plate and I don’t know what to do? I have mixed feelings about saving him and honestly, I came here so you could give me some advice.”

Her scowl softened and she placed a comforting hand on top of his, giving him a reassuring smile. “Oh Tiuri, you’re too kind to people. What do you think you should do? I’m not sure what you want but just think about these three scenarios and how you’ll feel about each one of them. If you kill him, what will you achieve? Set him free and will he wreak havoc? Choose to care for him and what might he do in return?” 

She went back to kicking her feet in the river and Tiuri took that as a signal to give her some space. He thanked her and walked back to their camp, ruffling Piak’s hair as the young lad excitedly showed off some interesting rocks he found. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed Viridian, ensuring he wasn’t trying to escape. He just lay still on his back, arms twisted in an awkward angle and remained silent. 

Like a well-behaved dog, Tiuri thought. Rather derogatory but his fury was obstructing his rational thought. The boy’s cheek was rather red and Tiuri momentarily felt bad for him but he wasn’t going to pity his enemy. I’ll go and finish up my errands now, he’ll be fine for now. Tiuri went to go and pick up some firewood, leaving Viridian alone again for the rest of the afternoon.

*

As soon as it was dark, all five of them reconvened around the campfire and began discussing their plans for the following days. The tension in the air was extremely thick and everyone was speaking in hushed voices, not wanting Viridian to hear them.

“Tiuri, what should be our next move?” Piak asked, poking the flame with a stick and jumping back when it grew larger. Piak was a brave child, he was unaffected by what had happened and Tiuri was sure that he was going to grow up and become a mature and strong-willed man. 

“Why don’t we head West and see The Sea Where the Sun Sets? It’s warmer and it’d be nice to take a break from the forests and mountains,” Tiuri contemplated, tracing his finger over his map.

“We could have a beach holiday!” Piak exclaimed, looking at his brother in excitement. Jussipo ruffled his hair and nodded, “Yes, you deserve some fun.”

“But what about Viridian? Tiuri, what do you plan to do with him?” Foldo asked, leaning in closer. Lavinia stood up upon hearing that name and leaned against a tree, not wanting to sit next to them as they discussed their plans.

In her opinion, they should just leave the Prince to die. It didn’t matter whether he got eaten by wild animals or succumbed to the elements, she just wanted him gone. Something in her gut told her Tiuri wasn’t going to do that and she was worried. It was dangerous and she was only looking out for the group. But then again, she was a little jealous of the time Tiuri had begun to spend with him. It hadn’t been that long but she still felt that Viridian was being prioritised over her. She had magic, why couldn’t she just kill him? Stupid Tiuri and his morals, she cursed. She was not interested in listening to their discussion because she knew if she took part in it, an argument would break out and nothing would be settled. She sniffled, rubbing her nose and turning to stare at the Prince. He had been awfully quiet the past few hours. Good, she told herself, that wretch shouldn’t be talking to any of us.

Maybe she should try and be a little kinder but she was angry and anger never did anyone good. Jussipo barely got angry and perhaps that was the reason why he was so cheerful and forgiving… if only she could do that too. 

“Lavinia? Will you please come back? We’ve made a decision," Foldo meekly called out to her.

Wow, I wasn’t expecting them to actually make a decision without me, she thought to herself. Wiping off her frown, she sat next to them and asked, “So what’s the plan?”

“Tomorrow morning, we will head West, which will be a two or three day trip depending on the terrain and how fast the horses move.”

“And what about him?” She crossed her arms and impatiently awaited their response.

“We’ll bring him with us. I want to see what his intent is and we have a responsibility to ensure he doesn’t hurt anyone,” Tiuri explained, expressing his opinion carefully as he didn’t want to agitate Lavinia.

“And no, we’re not leaving him to die,” He added upon seeing her mouth open. Damn, he knew her too well.

“You’ll take him then. I’m not going anywhere near that monster,” She huffed, spitefully tossing her head.

“Fine,” Tiuri conceded, “I’ll take him. Now, we should all get some rest because we have a long trip ahead of us. Goodnight.”

“Tiuri, one more thing. You do realise we could hand him over to bounty hunters or another kingdom and they’d pay us a lot of gold? We’d be set for life,” Lavinia tried one more time.

“Lavinia, during the journey I’ll think about what I want to do with him. Now, get some sleep, you need it.”

They adjourned and went to their respective sleeping bags, except for Lavinia who decided to do the first round of taking guard. Tiuri slid under his blanket, pulling it up to his chin. He could feel Viridian’s eyes on his back but ignored them, eventually falling into a light and dreamless sleep.

*

Viridian was in pain. Simple as that. His head wound throbbed and his cheek was tingling. No one had paid any attention to him the entire afternoon and he wasn’t about to speak to any of them. He couldn’t trust any of them and well, who knew how they would react to him calling out for them? He didn’t want to demonstrate any weakness and his pride prevented him from asking for a drink of water. The last time he had a sip of that cooling liquid was when Tiuri gave it to him and it was hours ago. 

Everyone had gone to sleep and even the girl had eventually slumped down and fallen asleep. They were all evidently exhausted but he, on the other hand, was cold and thirsty. The campfire had died out and the rust coloured flames had diminished into grey ash.

A sudden movement from the camp caught his eye and he sat up, trying to roll his shoulders back to get rid of the persistent ache and get a better look at whatever was walking towards him.

“Hello!” A bright and chirpy voice squeaked at him.

“What?” He responded, taken aback by the small child that was now sitting across from him.

“I said hello. I’m Piak and you must be Viridian! Everyone in the kingdom hates you, especially Lavinia! She’s really upset that Tiuri didn’t kill you and that we’re taking you with us to The Sea Where the Sun Sets. She wants you dead,” He rambled, laughing as he did so.

“We’re going to The Sea Where the Sun Sets? Do you know what’s going to happen to me?” He asked, genuinely curious. The child seemed so innocent and pure, just as he was so many years ago. Now, he was nothing but a shadow of his past self.

“Yes, we are. I’m really bored and I can’t sleep, do you want to talk?”

Viridian nodded slowly, “Could I get a drink of water first? I’m parched.”

The child immediately procured a waterskin and put it against his lips, letting him drink. The waterskin was soon emptied and the child guffawed in surprise.

“You really are thirsty! Now, tell me why you’re here.”

“I want my kingdom back and I need to gather my allies so I can overtake Unauwen. My father doesn’t deserve the throne, he needs to be taught a lesson.”

The child’s eyebrows scrunched together in thought, “But that plan failed. Why would you try and get it back again? Why do you want the throne so badly?”

“It’s hard to explain, I don’t think you would understand,” Viridian sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t know why he was opening up to Piak but he just needed someone to talk to after all this time.

“Tiuri says I don’t understand a lot of things. But I watch him a lot of the time and he acts weird around you. First, he takes care of you and is super nice and doesn’t want to kill you. Then, he hits you and refuses to speak to you for hours. I mean, you are supposed to be evil but you’re actually quite nice to me.”

He tried for a smile but it turned out to be more of a grimace. The child just kept on talking and talking and after a while, he found himself enjoying the company. It was nice of someone to look past who he was and treat him like a normal person. He really did miss that.

*

He woke up a few hours later and he noticed Lavinia leaning against a tree trunk, snoring softly. He walked over to her, pulled her blanket over her to keep her warm. It seemed like it was his turn to keep watch now. 

A loud crack of a twig caught his attention and he spun around to face Viridian. A small figure was crouched next to him and Tiuri thundered towards them, ready to chase away whoever was trying to free him but stopped when he realised it was Piak.

“Piak? What are you doing?”

He grabbed the boy and yanked him away from Viridian, spitting accusations at the other boy immediately.

“What do you think you’re trying to do? How dare you try and manipulate him!” He whispered, his tone so sharp and scornful that it made Piak flinch.

“I just needed some water and I didn’t ask to talk to him. He came over to speak to me,” He muttered. He hated that he was eye level with Tiuri’s boots, the boy could easily kick him in the face and the backhand he received was already rather painful. 

“Is that true, Piak?”

Piak nodded frantically, “He didn’t do anything wrong! I couldn’t sleep and he was the only person I could talk to.”

“Was Lavinia not awake?”

“She was already asleep,” Piak clarified.

“Fine, go back to your sleeping bag now. I’ll watch him.”

Piak got up to his feet, scrambling as he did so but grabbed Tiuri’s arm before he did what he was asked to.

“Please don’t get mad at him, he was really nice to me.”

Tiuri nodded and let the boy walk back to his bed, giving a reassuring smile as Piak nervously went under his blanket. He bent down to face Viridian and growled, “I don’t care what he says about you, I don’t want you speaking to anyone here. You will only talk if I talk to you otherwise you will keep your devilish mouth shut, am I clear?”

“Don’t speak to me like that, you’re going to regret it, you think you’re such a bigshot but no, you’re nothing and will always be nothing,” Viridian spat back, leaning so close to Tiuri’s face that his muscles were taut from pulling against the ropes. He wasn’t about to be ridiculed and treated like this, he wasn’t going to take this attitude from anyone.

Tiuri didn’t respond to his jibe and grabbed him by the throat, keeping it in a crushing hold and watched in satisfaction as the other boy wrestled and tried to free himself from the tight grasp.

“I have no respect for you and I think you’ve just helped me make a decision. Thank you for that.”

He grabbed a piece of cloth, giving him a look that said “If you bite me, I will kill you’ and tied it tightly around his mouth until the brunette winced. He finally released his grip and used two fingers to push Viridian’s forehead.

“Be grateful that you aren’t dead yet.”

He walked away, eyes cold and heart lined with hatred and stared into the dark abyss of the forest, paying attention to nothing except the heavy breathing of his prisoner. If he wasn’t so angry, he would have enjoyed the beauty of the nature around him.

The trees sparkled with light dew from the rain and there was a fresh scent of chlorophyll and damp moss, the musk of wild game and the earthiness of soil and the decaying forest floor. The stars glittered gently in the indigo blue sky and crickets chirped in the distance. There was peace and calm around them.

Tiuri sighed and grabbed his sword, deciding that patrolling around the area was better than standing here. He couldn’t bear to stand here and spend another second with Viridian.

**Author's Note:**

> unconventional ship i KNOW but i have to channel out my thoughts for these two bc i feel like they work well together! 
> 
> rated m as the later chapters will deal with heavier topics. 
> 
> hope you enjoyed the first chapter! updates are super sporadic but do stay tuned. thanks for reading x


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